Zombies have long been a staple of pop culture and horror stories in books, TV and movies. But did you know they're also the subject of university-level research? There is an amazing amount of serious academic work on zombies! Anthropologists, biologists and philosophers have traced, speculated and debated zombies. Indigenous African tribal beliefs came to the Caribbean with slaves. Various medical conditions can cause zombie-like symptoms. But, it may not be possible for zombies to even exist. After all, they're conscious beings who aren't aware that they're conscious. And that's a contradiction in terms, because consciousness, by definition, includes awareness! One nursing journal published an article on what to do in a zombie outbreak. It gave detailed instructions on how nurses can identify and treat the unfortunate victims. Even the venerable U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has discussed zombies. It published a guide on how to prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse. Of course, if you're ready for a zombie outbreak, you're ready for any disaster!

How are zombies created? Are they cursed by a voodoo spell or potion? Are they poisoned with toxins? Or have they caught a virus or prion? If it's a toxin or a virus, how is it transmitted--by air, or by contact with blood or body fluids? There are more questions than answers. But everyone agrees that, once infected by whatever means, there's no way to prevent a person from becoming a zombie.

What does a zombie look like? Basically it's a decayed version of whatever the human victim used to be. A famous singer. A U.S. president. A football player or cheerleader. A student. A pirate. Whatever. A zombie wears the same clothes it did before becoming undead. It can't change clothes--all it cares about is finding human flesh to consume! So the clothes are just torn, dirty, and maybe blood-stained. A zombie's face and any exposed skin is rotting, and inner organs may show through or protrude.

Your zombification can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be. The dirty, ragged clothes aren't hard. But to get that rotting-flesh look you need help. We have easy-to-use zombie makeup kits that will give you the "fresh" zombie look. But if you want to show advanced decomposition, try one of our many prosthetic wounds. They're easy to use and come with complete instructions. Or try one of our gruesome zombie masks. Then add fake intestines hanging out through a hole in your shirt.

How do you identify a zombie? Not always by looks--some beings who look like zombies could be humans trying to pass as zombies to avoid becoming one. (See below, what to do in a worst-case scenario.) The main way to identify a zombie is by four behavioral symptoms, which must all be present:

an unsteady shuffling gait when walking

lack of human personality

insatiable desire to consume flesh or brains

incessant moaning and inability to speak clearly

If someone near you shows these symptoms, RUN! The only way to keep from becoming a zombie yourself is to avoid contact with them.

In a worst-case scenario, if you can't beat them, join them! Our zombie costumes come in sizes and styles for the whole family: men, women, kids. Even if there's not a real zombie apocalypse, you can have fun pretending that there is!